Cincinnati Reds vs Toronto Blue Jays Betting Picks

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a good spot. They were not supposed to be leading the AL East at this point, but their starting rotation and hitting have exceeded expectations. The Reds seem to be feeling the pressure of the playoff chase. Cincinnati has fallen to five games behind for the final NL wild card, and they have played poorly over their last 12 games, where they are a woeful 3-9. The pitching just has not been there as the Reds staff has allowed 68 runs over the 12 games, or 5.7 runs a game. The Blue Jays continue to win, and I like them tonight. Make the play on Toronto.

The Blue Jays lead the AL East by 2.5 games over Boston and New York, but the gap has narrowed over the past two weeks as Toronto (8-8) plays .500 ball while the Red Sox (11-6) and Yankees (12-4) dominate. The problem for the Jays is that the bullpen can't stop a nosebleed. They blew another ninth-inning lead in yesterday's 5-4 loss to the Reds, marking their 23rd blown save of the season (sixth-most in the majors), and the bullpen ERA has gone from 3.62 in the first half of the season to 5.36 since (third-worst in baseball). Cincinnati is four games back in the NL wild-card hunt, scoring 12 runs in its past two games in back-to-back wins against the Cardinals and Jays. The Reds have their top starter on the hill today in Nick Lodolo, and this left-hander has posted a stellar 1.04 WHIP in 134.1 innings this year, striking out 130 batters. He's held hitters to a .217 average at home, and he's 3-1 in his past four decisions. As favorites up to -150, the Reds are 21-12 all-time with Lodolo on the mound. Take Cincinnati to grab the win. 

Toronto has split its past 10 games as it continues to lead the AL East, but it can't let up as the Yankees and Red Sox are closing in. The Blue Jays come off an 8-4 win over Milwaukee on Sunday when Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes each had two hits and two RBIs, and the bullpen threw five shutout innings. The Blue Jays have won 10 of 15 against NL Central opponents. Cincinnati's playoff hopes are vanishing after losing five of six and eight of 10. The Reds are only averaging 3.1 runs over their past 10 games. Chris Bassitt has pitched in some hard luck recently, but he had a 3.67 ERA and a .214 opponent batting average in August with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings for the Blue Jays. Hunter Greene gave up five runs on six hits in five innings in a 7-0 loss to the Dodgers last Monday. Take the Blue Jays.

The Cincinnati Reds have some good young talent but appear to be at least two years away. They are 61-65 on the season. They lost the first game last night which followed a six-game homestand. The Reds are at the point of the season when two teams meet that have no playoff chances the road team seems to frequently play with any sense of urgency. The Reds came into this series opener wih a lack of energy, and I think that will carry over to tonight. The Jays are feeling good with a 10-3 win here last night. Ride the home side and play Toronto.